A Rider's Nindo
by Fierio
Summary: Eragon wakes up in a strange new place with some of his more recent memories gone. Now, he must find a way to change his fate and return to Alagaesia, and what better way than help from Konoha's personal destiny changer, Naruto.
1. Chapter One: A New Problem

I couldn't help it… I thought my days of writing fan fiction were over, but this plot (which I've had for a few months now), coupled by the release of Leaf Ranger's Demon Dragon Rider forced me to throw this onto "paper" if you will. How many chances do you get to pit your own story against one of your favorite authors in the same category on fanfiction? And while this is just the prologue, I want to see what other people think about it, and honestly I'm not to confident…

However, if people like it and I decide to continue with the story it would be fun to see which one of use, Leaf Ranger or me, has the better story.

(By the way) one thing that has been bugging me is the nifty spelling of the words in the ancient language… I know that it's spelled Alagaёsia, but I'm too lazy and don't care enough to place the accent mark (ё), so unless it's something of grave importance, I'll be leaving those out. Thus it will be spelled Alagaesia.

**IMPORTANT EDIT:** some of you may have noticed this story disappeared for a period of time. That's because the previous chapter one needed to be completely redone, there was no use leaving it here to confuse people later when I put this one up, and for those of you who read the first version, I'm sorry, but these changes needed to be made.

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or Naruto. If I did I would be publishing a book, not something on Fanfiction.

Chapter One: A New Problem

_'Eragon,' _said the voice, it rung out in his head like an echo. It was familiar, but at the same time foreign._ 'Wake up,'_ there was only one voice he knew that was that beautiful. He opened his eyes, revealing a field of golden flowers and gently rolling hills, perhaps more beautiful than that was the woman standing over him.

She had long, flowing black hair and dark green eyes that almost appeared black. Her ears curved up into delicate points, and she was as fair as any princess. He knew the face, she was Arya, one of his oldest friends and an elf princess. She placed a hand down, to help him to his feet. He eagerly took the chance, and in a display of strength that should have been impossible for one as small as her, lifted him several feet in the air before his feet touched lightly on the golden ground beneath him.

_"Where are we?" _he asked, the words appeared without him opening his mouth as they could hear each other's thoughts.

_"Somewhere," _she said playfully, before running off through the field, kicking up the flowers as she went. Seeing the game, he followed suit, chasing just behind but never actually catching up to the other. They ran like that for a long time as they passed trees made of silver and randomly placed spirits that touched his mind gently. The world was perfect, and for once in his life he just enjoyed himself.

But the mirth didn't last. Slowly, Arya got farther and farther away. He picked up speed to catch up, but every step he took she grew farther away. The skies began to darken and he began panicking. Already Arya was a good distance ahead of him, and still getting smaller.

_'Eragon!' _she shouted, as if frightened. Spurred into action, he ran faster, causing Arya to run faster still. _'Eragon!'_

Lightning struck the ground, coming dangerously close to both him and the elf who was now nothing more than a speck in the distance. Thunder clouds rolled through the scenery, collecting overhead into a giant mass. He ran faster, then faster still. Now no rolling hills stood beneath him, replaced by flat tiles and giant black pillars, but the clouds were still there. His foot steps sounded like the pounding of a great drum as they came down and sweat dropped from his brow, but still he couldn't catch up to the elf. She was gone.

Suddenly, in the sky, the giant thunder cloud turned its head to face him and glared with two eyes that burned like an inferno. It stretched its vapor wings and flapped menacingly as the clouds turned into scales, on its back a single black suit of armor was mounted on a dark saddle, a blade of the same color in his right hand.

Eragon reached for his own sword, but found that it wasn't there, frantically, he searched for it but to no avail. The figure in the sky dived lower as the massive cloud-dragon pulled its wings in, within seconds they were just above his head when the beast opened its wings and released a stream of black flame from its mouth. It hovered in air for a brief moment before the figure on its neck jumped to the ground. He landed with a crash of thunder, and then all was silent.

Eragon glared into the helmet of his enemy, but saw nothing, it was as if the suit itself were empty.

The figure rose slowly and spun its sword, the blade left a trail of black smoke wherever it moved. Eragon was forced to move back as the figure stepped closer, the blade dancing in deadly arcs until he felt his back touch a wall that had not been there moments before. The figure stopped moving the weapon and held it rigid, aimed for his heart.

Eragon opened his mouth to utter a word in the ancient language, but instantly forgot them all. He reached for his sword again, but still, the weapon wasn't there. He could only do one thing, stair into the blank darkness of his enemy as he delivered the killing blow. The blade came speeding down, but it felt like so long to him, as if he were taking years to finish the act, just as the blade touched his skin he cried out.

"Saphira!" he shouted, and shot up in the bed, sweat dotted his body, causing it to glisten in the lack of light. His head bolted from left to right, searching for the mystery opponent, and even though he knew it was just a dream he wouldn't stop his search, it was too real. His breath started coming slower as he calmed down, within minutes he was able to soothe his thoughts and relax to an extent. He felt Saphira through his mind, she was far away, but not terribly. Once again, with his wits about him he looked around the room, still prepared to jump if he saw the black armored warrior.

It was a small room with white walls and ceiling, a table stood a few feet to his right that contained his belongings. Leaning against the far wall was his weapons, both his sword and his bow with its quiver of beautifully crafted arrows, sung by Islanzadi herself.

"Where am I?" he asked himself, before slowly getting out of the bed. His enhanced vision instantly revealed the bandages, stretching from his right shoulder to his waist. Placing two and two together he realized that he was in a hospital, albeit a strange one.

He walked through the dark room, admiring the strange things. On the walls were paintings of scenery drawn in a style he had never seen before, the walls were made of some smooth material that defied his classification, and strange bulbs of glass hung from the ceiling, they were warm to the touch, as if someone held a fire to them. Finally, his attention went to the window, it was on the wall a few feet away from his sword. The curtains were pulled closed, but he could see a small spot of white that could only be the moon. His hands went to the strange fabric, it was as smooth as silk, then he began to pull on it. He hadn't gotten it even a crack opened before he heard a noise at the door. Instinctively, he grabbed his sword and unsheathed the weapon. Even in the dark, its blade shimmered with every shade of blue.

The knob turned slowly, as if the person on the other end was scared to see what was inside. Slowly, a girl, probably about fifteen years old, poked her head past. Her eyes were bright green and she had pink hair, something Eragon had never seen before.

Relaxed that the intruder was only a young woman, and sensing that her intentions were peaceful, Eragon sheathed the sword with a sigh. As soon as the weapon was placed away, she entered, all traces of her fear were gone.

"Sorry if I scared you," said Eragon, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Nani?" replied the girl, Eragon cocked his head to the side as he tried to figure out what she had said.

"sorry, but could you run that by me again," he asked.

"Wakarimasen," she said, slowly and deliberately. immediately, Eragon realized she was speaking a different language, though he couldn't identify what it was.

Slowly, Eragon pointed at himself, and said the word "Eragon," the girl seemed to understand and responded with the same gesture.

"Sakura," she said slowly, Eragon nodded and smiled, showing that he understood. However, he realized that figuring out where he was had now become a problem. With that in mind, he did the next most important thing, he placed a hand on his stomach and said the word "Hungry" it just so happened that his stomach growled at that exact moment, clarifying his words.

"Hai!" said the girl before bowing and running out of the room, leaving Eragon to some very disturbing thoughts.

'What language was that?' he wondered, resting his chin in an opened palm. In general, the humans of Alagaesia spoke one language, excluding the nomadic people of the east. Yet, this was obviously a permanent building, not suitable to their roaming lifestyle. He knew he was nowhere hostile, else he would have been drugged and chained, not supplied food and courtesy. The more he thought on it, the worse his head hurt, but he did have refuge in one area. Reestablishing connection with his and Saphira's mental link, Eragon sensed she was asleep, he thought about leaving her to slumber, but figured that this was far more important.

'_Saphira, wake up.'_

There was no answer for a few moments, but Eragon could sense her consciousness coming through

'_Little one? You are awake?'_

_'Yes, how long have I been asleep, I can't seem to remember much recently.'_

_'A long time...' _Said Saphira, though she was far away, Eragon still felt the powerful wave of happiness. '_I've lost track, but you were in and out of sleep for a month.'_

_A whole month?_ Eragon mentally shouted, his mind went racing through the possibilities of what horrors could have happened in a month. _'How did this happen?'_

_'I don't remember,' _said Saphira, and for the first time Eragon noticed something strange about her thoughts. She wasn't excited or surprised, the only thing emanating from her was simple, slow emotions, like happiness.

_'Saphira, what's wrong?'_ asked Eragon, fear for his partner outweighing all other issues.

_'Wrong?' _she asked lamely. _'I don't feel anything wrong…'_ Eragon, worried, probed their mental link, temporarily leaving his body to see and feel what Saphira felt. The first thing he felt was ravaging hunger, followed by a sense of half existence, it was as if…

_'Have you eaten or slept at all while I was asleep?'_ The thought baffled him. Sure she could go a few weeks without eating, and days without sleep, but this brought new meaning to the word tired. She probably fell asleep not long before he woke up simply because she couldn't stay awake any longer.

_'What is sleep?'_

XxxXxxX

Sakura whistled a tune as she walked down the hospital wing, she was understandably happy, he had finally woken up after so many weeks of worry. It was strange when the ANBU found the man in the forest, beaten, burned, and slashed as if he had fought with an entire army at once. However, his will was strong and after extensive care he stabilized, but even after that he still wouldn't come out of his coma. His sudden cry in the night had alerted her, and she reached him as soon as possible.

'What was that strange language he spoke?' she wondered, she knew of very few nations that spoke in different tongues, all of the ones that did tended to be small, more tribal nations to the north.

Now, she carried a bowl of hot ramen, due to the lack of anything more nutritious, it was understandable to be hungry after being fed by an I.V for the past month, while they kept you alive they did nothing for the stomach. She walked up to the door, a smile on her face, she reached for the door knob and-

The door attacked her.

Shooting out of the room, with his weapons haphazardly placed at his side and back, went the man. Judging by the speed he ran at, no one would have been able to guess that he was just in a coma.

"Sorry!" he yelled, Sakura didn't know what it meant, but it had better be an apology! Dropping the ramen, the kunoichi ran after him, he could be dangerous to both himself and others. However, that was easier said than done. Eragon ran like a mad man on steroids, Sakura had no hope of keeping up in the cramped hallways. She reached him only as he made it outside, where for some reason he was hesitating.

Eragon looked out into the maze that was Konoha, the buildings were tall, cramped and stretched on for miles. However, he overcame his original surprise, quickly galvanizing into action, there were more pressing issues at hand. Getting a running start, he jumped onto the roof of a building before taking off in a dead sprint. He had never run as fast in his life, and that was saying something because of his unnatural speed.

Sakura trailed behind, just barely keeping up, it took all of her chakra control to keep her legs moving as fast as she went, and even then she was significantly slower.

Within a minute, Eragon had cleared the several miles of distance between him and the front gate… the massive, hundred foot tall front gate. This was a problem.

The door would be far too heavy for him to move conventionally with magic, but there was no way to get through otherwise. Even with his physical abilities the wall was impassable.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and much like how he disabled the siege weapons during the battle at the burning plains, he took control of the gate guard's mind. It was a simple matter, he was obviously not trained to counter magic. Using him as a puppet and probing his memories, he managed to find the lever that opened the gate. Content, Eragon returned to his body, but before he continued his mad dash, he placed the guard to sleep with a simple phrase in the Ancient Language.

Now that the gate was opened, he continued forward, bursting through the trees.

'_I'm coming, Saphira!'_

The trees flew by his face and the wind howled in his ears, his strength was ebbing, even he couldn't keep this pace for long. After thirty minutes of running at top speed, he needed a break.

Eragon slowed to a stop and leaned against a tree, but to hasten his recovery took a bit of the energy stored within Brisingr's pommel. The gem was surprisingly less full than he remembered.

'What happened before I got here?' he wondered, still unable to remember much about recent events. He remembered preparing to storm the next town, only a few weeks after the assault on Feinster, but nothing after.

After deciding he had rested enough, he moved out again, at a slightly slower pace. He could sense Saphira's mind closely now, even though she had fallen asleep again. If he didn't do something quickly, she would die of starvation or lack of energy, either way he wasn't going to let her go that easily.

It took another fifteen minutes of careful searching through the dense forest, but eventually Eragon found where Saphira was hiding.

The sight brought tears to his eyes.

Eragon had seen her bloodied, tired, helpless, and scared, but none were as sad as the sight in front of him.

His dragon lay on her side, her wings stretched out at awkward angles while her legs hung loosely to one side. Her beautiful scales that once shimmered with every hue of blue took a slight grey shade. White foam gathered at her opened mouth, her tongue rolled out to the side.

The only sign of life was the slow movement of her chest, showing that she was breathing.

Eragon knelt by her side, placing his hand on her chest. The warmth to her scales was gone completely, they were as cold as metal. Fighting back sobs, Eragon reached for the largest source of energy around, Brom's ring, Aren. Its seemingly infinite energy seeped into Eragon's body, while he transferred it to Saphira.

Slowly, her scales began to shine brighter, and her breathing became less labored. Her legs twitched once or twice, all were good signs. Eventually, her eyes began to move around.

_'Little one… is that you?' _she asked, her voice was weak and shaky.

_'Yes, but you must rest now,' _replied Eragon. _'You almost died, Saphira.'_

_'I was… so worried,' _she said, using a small portion of her energy, Saphira moved into a more comfortable, and dignified position, curling up much like a cat. That effort alone took a lot out of her, and instantly she fell back into a deep sleep.

Eragon slid himself against her body, feeling the familiar warmth return to her. He was so happy that he got there in time, but still his practical mind was working, and he had some free time on his hands.

In the dim light of the moon, Eragon noticed a large brown rucksack on the ground. It must have been with Saphira when they ended up here.

Unable to remember what he packed, Eragon looked through it. The things he found made that day feel like Christmas. The scroll from the Agaeti Blodhren, containing the poem he wrote, the fairth of his mother, Selena, the belt of Beloth the Wise, which for some reason wasn't on his person, and finally the most important item, Glaedr's Eldunari.

Suddenly realizing the Glaedr had been neglected for the past month, Eragon reached for the small thing's consciousness.

_'Glaedr, can you hear me?' _asked Eragon, suddenly the small object sent a wave of relief.

_'Yes, what happened? It has been silent for a long time!' _boomed Glaedr's voice, he was obviously not happy. So Eragon retold the story, taking very little time to do so.

_'I see,' _said Glaedr. _'Is Saphira okay?'_

_'Yes, I made it on time. I used some of the energy from Brom's ring to keep her alive,'_

_'thank you for telling me,' _said Glaedr. _I wish I could have helped, but I can't access the mind of any being unless they reach for mine first. As for where we are… all I can tell is that we're far, far away.'_

_'That's helpfu-' _Eragon never finished his sarcastic remark, the sound of a snapping twig alerted him to another's presence. His mind reached out, and before long he found the intruder… but not before she found them.

Sakura stood, dumbstruck, at the edge of the clearing. She didn't even notice Eragon, as she only could focus on the giant, blue… Thing! She stepped back a few steps, before attempting to run away.

"Slytha!" Eragon yelled after her, he felt the spell tug at his energy and watched as the pink haired girl fell to the ground, deep in sleep. As soon as he was sure she wasn't going anywhere, Eragon let out a frustrated sigh. Things just kept getting better and better.

XxxXxxX

_"Vakna,"_

Sakura felt consciousness return to her slowly, it felt the same as being awakened from a genjutsu, but somehow different. Her eyes opened slowly, letting in the dim light filtering through the trees above her. Moments later she smelled smoke and heard the tell tale crackling of fire. Curious, she sat up and looked in the direction it came from. Immediately to her left she saw the same man she chased last night, cooking some form of animal over a fire.

Then she remembered the sight from last night, a giant blue beast in the middle of the forest, quickly she looked around, but all signs of the creature were gone.

"Don't worry… safe," said Eragon, unsure if he used the correct words Sakura seemed to get the meaning and calmed down.

"You can speak our language?" she asked, the words came quickly, and Eragon only understood a few, but he was able to uncover the meaning.

"Learn from… your… thoughts," he said. "Mind read," as soon as he finished talking, Sakura felt a presence at the back of her head, quickly she realized that it was Eragon. Sakura wasn't surprised, which was strange. Maybe this land had many people who could read minds.

"What was that monster?" she asked, saying the words slowly. After a few moments of thought, Eragon was able to figure out the meaning.

"Not monster… friend, name Saphira," Sakura wondered if he said the right words, it sounded as if he said that monster was his friend, that couldn't be right.

"Want to… meet her?" asked Eragon. "No afraid," he said quickly after. "Friend," Sakura stared at him funny, he definitely didn't know what he was saying. She was about to ask when she heard a strange pounding sound, the footsteps of some giant beast. She looked at Eragon, who only shrugged.

"Saphira," he said. "Friend, no afraid," and instantly, Sakura realized he knew exactly what he was saying, she would have turned and ran right there, if she weren't paralyzed with fear. Already, a giant blue head poked its way through the forest. Sakura's eyes widened as more of the thing maneuvered gracefully through the trees. Standing in front of her, at its full height was the beast.

Sakura opened her mouth to scream, but was cut short by a sudden voice in her head. It was calm and cool, and had a mystical air around it, however, she couldn't understand the words. First she looked at Eragon, but his lips weren't moving, then she looked at the monster and her eyes grew even wider (by this point they were near ready to explode)

"It can talk?" she shouted, her brain started pounding itself against her skull, trying to come up with a logical explanation. When none occurred she defaulted to the only thing that made any sense at the moment. Passing out.

Eragon sighed and slapped a palm to his forehead, he should have known this wasn't going to be easy.

'_Why does this kind of stuff always happen to us?' _he asked Saphira.

_'Things like this happen to you, there's no way I got us into this mess,' _replied Saphira playfully, however, she was probably right.

And that's the end of chapter one! I hoped you liked it, and if you liked the last chapter one, I hope that this one was even better for you. PLEASE REVIEW! I want feedback!

Just for a heads up, next chapter will most likely be a time skip. And for a fair warning, this story will not be a "happy happy Joy Joy" story. And while I haven't a clue what will happen later, know that if I feel like it people will die, and the characters will have periods of depression. (you would too, if you woke up on a different continent and never knew if you were going to see any of your friends again.) I don't want to hear any bad things about "Your story is soooo emo!" CRITICISM is a different matter, if you find a point in the story where the emotion truly is unnecessary then feel free to point it out and/or tell me how I could do it better.

Lastly, in the area of relationships... I have them figured out, but will leave them a surprise for now (and no, there most likely won't be any Eragon/Sakura, in case you're wondering)

An that's it for now, please review. And if you have any ideas, send them in, I'm always open to the reader's ideas, and if I like it, I'll try to find some way to fit it in (and if I don't like it, don't complain if I turn you down.)


	2. Chapter 2: A Twisted Fate

Yes! I actually managed to get chapter two done! This one presented me with a problem I had overlooked while making up the plot. Scrying. In Brisingr Eragon can use a spell that allows him to talk with people through his scrying, rendering my previous plot impossible. In response I have completely rethought out the plot, hopefully this one will be just as enjoyable.

Also, I understand the Japanese endings like Kun, Chan, Nii San, but I will only use them in special occasions. Like Hinata saying Naruto-kun. This is more out of laziness than my ignorance of the language. Country names will to be translated to English, but villages, like Konoha and Suna will be unchanged.

EDIT- it appears that fanfiction doesn't like the word ANBU (in lowercase letters) I've had to find each missing term and replace it...

Chapter Two: A Twisted Fate.

_"Look closely at this bone. You can see how its end rests on that of the sailing ship. That is impossible to misunderstand. Your fate will be to leave this land forever. Where you end up I know not, but you will never again stand in Alagaesia," _

_-_-_

Eragon stared into the pool of water settled in the hospital sink, the once reflective surface had turned a deep black color then shifted again, revealing a bright red room with very little furniture. In one corner of the room was a table with dozens of scrolls cluttered and overlapping. From the water came the gentle tap of someone walking, moments later a woman walked into the field of view. She wore majestic armor of finely woven metal chains coupled with elegant plates protecting her shoulders, legs, and chest. Strands of black hair hung out from beneath her similarly adorned helm and she was out of breath.

"What's wrong?" asked Eragon, instinctively placing one hand to the hilt of his sword, Brisingr, even though he knew whatever danger was much too far away to effect him. The woman in the image let out a frustrated sigh and messaged her temples.

"Our situation has grown even worse," she said. "Elves, Dwarves, and the Varden have all fallen back to the Beor Mountains while Galbatorix continually sends scores of men with all manners of different enchantments to break us."

"Have Thorn and Murtagh caused any trouble?"

"No, as of now it seems Galbatorix is reluctant to have them fight us within the mountain, where no matter how high they fly are a target to thousands of elven spell weavers. We are lucky in that sense. However, we face a larger problem then that," Nasuada said the words through clenched teeth, as if reluctant to admit to an accusation.

"What is it?" asked Eragon.

"Together, the Varden, elves, and dwarves have lost too many fighters to press another advance. We would be blown away like leaves if we came anywhere close to the empire," she managed to growl.

"So our entire fight is doomed?"

"Hardly!" boomed Nasuada. "As a matter of fact, your disappearance may just be able to compensate for this loss!" Eragon cocked his head in confusion, trying to fathom what reasoning was behind Nasuada's statement.

"How could I possibly do that?" he asked, watching as Nasuada began to grin.

"Whatever magic sent you there was no doubt preformed by Murtagh or Galbatorix himself," she stated. "As such, they must believe that the trip would either kill you, or you'd be unable to return, else they would never leave a loose end like you around. I don't think he would be expecting you to sail into Surda with… a force of some thousand warriors behind you," as soon as she finished, realization struck Eragon. An alliance with this nation would be an asset that the empire could not possibly defeat or even expect. From Sakura he learned that the warriors of this country were trained better than any swordsman alive, while each and every one of them was able to perform some kind of magic. She wouldn't explain any further than that, but already the idea was appealing. An army of warrior magicians that would make the continent tremble.

"Aye," said Eragon in a smug tone. "Galbatorix shall regret his mistake," then realism settled in, and Eragon wasn't so sure. "But I've met with the village leader, she's tough to persuade, I nearly had to pledge service to her just to convince that Saphira wasn't about to destroy the place."

"Don't worry about that," said Nasuada. "When the empire falls we will have its entire treasury to repay them, I'm sure she will consider it,"

"And if she doesn't?"

"You will return home alone and face Galbatorix all the same," she said, more as an order than a suggestion. At that moment, Eragon's hearing picked up footsteps a few feet away, coming from down the hall.

"I got to go," he said quickly and quietly. "I'll see what can be done," and without waiting for a goodbye, Eragon ended the flow of magic, watching as the water faded back to its normal form. Seconds later the door opened.

Luck was smiling on him that day.

In the doorway stood Tsunade, the Hokage, in a worried manner Eragon thought he would never see on one as stubborn and resolute as her. Already he could tell there was something troubling her, and no doubt it was going to involve him.

"Wait outside," she said to the ANBU that followed her, the white masked warriors backed away and out of sight, but not far enough so that Eragon couldn't hear their breathing. Then she walked over to him and sighed.

"What's wrong?" asked Eragon in her language, a talent he picked up rapidly in the last few weeks, though he still had a few issues with it.

"Many, many things," she said, removing a long necked bottle from within her coat, from the smell he could tell it was alcoholic. "Corrupt nobles, damned business men, and all forms of other torment," as she took a quick swig her expression grew solemn.

"I've been backed into a corner, Eragon, and I apologize for what I will ask of you," she said quietly, letting shame show on her face. The tone she used both humbled and terrified Eragon, he knew her pride wouldn't allow her to act like this unless something bad were about to happen. "For the past couple of weeks I've been talking with a representative of the Spirit country, a small nation bordering the Wind country. For as long as they have existed they have been close friends and allies with us. Even though their military is weak, my predecessors have trusted them with secrets that should not have been revealed under any circumstances..."

"What does this have to do with me?" asked Eragon, speaking slowly and deliberately, still unsure of his skill in the language.

"It doesn't directly," Tsunade replied. "The Spirit Country wishes to hire a shinobi team for a mission to guard one of their most valuable treasures, but due to funds they can't afford a team any higher than Chunin rank. Inversely if we lower the price of a Jonin team for them we run the risk of infuriating our other clients, and therein lies the problem. If we refuse their request they are likely to go to another village, who would pay handsomely to get a hold of some of our secrets."

"Then what's the problem of sending a Chunin team?" asked Eragon, still unsure of what exactly a Chunin was.

"The artifact they are transporting is an object of strange and immense power. Every S class criminal ever booked will be tempted to take it, a Chunin team would not be able to survive very long, even if we send only the best," suddenly, Eragon pieced together what the Hokage was asking, but rather then press her on it, he let her continue.

"The ANBU have watched you practice your swordplay, some explain it as inhuman, others as demonic. Either way, it would be correct to assume that you could hold your own in battle,"

"It is," said Eragon, remembering the countless powerful enemies he fought and defeated. Before he allowed his thoughts to dwell on the lives he ended, he quickly decided to bring the conversation to a close. Fumbling for the correct words he said. "I… see what you're getting at, and I think I have a… proposition,"

"I'm willing to accept a price, name it and the money's yours," said Tsunade, a bright spark in her eyes, Eragon saw this and held back a chuckle.

"I'm not asking for payment," he said. "I'm offering it," Tsunade stared at him blankly for a moment, but before she could inquire any further Eragon moved over to the sink he had flooded for his scrying pool.

"Draumr Kopa," he said, also adding a few other words to the spell, allowing him to hear and speak with whoever was there. Tsunade cocked her head to one side, curious of what Eragon was doing. She moved to his side to see the water turn a dark black shade then gently fade into color. Once again, Nasuada's blood red command center dominated the view.

"What did you-" before she finished her sentence, a woman garbed in elaborate chain armor came into view. Her skin was dark like the men of Kumogakure, but the outfit was a design Shinobi had long ago stopped using in favor of the lighter, hard leather they used now.

"That was fast," said the woman in the pool. The words were gibberish to Tsunade, but Eragon understood them well enough.

"Something has come up, and definitely in out favor," he moved aside, exposing Tsunade's face to the pool. "This is the Hokage, Tsunade. I think there is a deal that might be struck.

"What's going on?" she asked, pointing at the image. "And who is that?" ignoring Nasuada for a brief period, Eragon quickly informed her on the topic of scrying, explaining that the woman, Nasuada, was in Alagaesia, and that they were speaking via magic. Tsunade looked confused after the short lecture, but was able to hold any further questions.

Turning his attention back to Nasuada, he mentioned Tsunade's ordeal, each detail caused her grin to grow. "I can translate a conversation if you'd like,"

"Please do," said the leader of the Varden, already coming up with a strategy that would benefit the most. Eragon relayed the information to Tsunade, and thus the worlds of Alagaesia and the Shinobi Countries spoke for the first time.

The conversation was lengthy and formal, causing Eragon to spend most of the time explaining the Varden's plight against Galbatorix. Tsunade stood with a silent business type look upon her face as Nasuada spoke to her indirectly.

"I hope you understand our need for soldiers," said Nasuada at one point. "I'm willing to pay whatever price you desire, even if it empties the kingdom's vaults, and allow Eragon to set out on this mission of yours, as a token of faith," Eragon shakily translated the information as best he could, using synonyms whenever he came across a word he didn't know. After which Tsunade remained quietly contemplating for quite some time. Three minutes into her silence she began speaking.

"Your offer is tempting," she admitted. "I sympathize with your plight and would love to help in whatever way possible, but you ask I send my troops into a foreign war for the sake of a mission that, while important, would bring us much less strife if we ignored. You ask much in return for so little, no amount of gold could replace the thousands of family members we would lose in your battle," Eragon relayed this to Nasuada, feeling as if their efforts had been defeated, but as soon as he had explained the situation Nasuada flashed a look, only milliseconds long, of victory. Something had gone according to plan.

"On the contrary," she said. "In your hands right now is the very last hope of our cause. Eragon and Saphira are the only ones with the strength or knowledge to defeat Galbatorix. In return for your help I have offered you not only enough gold to buy half a continent and an alliance between our nations, granted we are successful, but the very hope our country needs to be victorious in our efforts. I could summon Eragon back immediately and make an attempt to strike at Galbatorix. A gamble that, even if successful, would leave our armies desecrated. I understand your argument and won't ask for anything you can't give, but I do ask from you only a handful of soldiers, even one hundred would do if they are anything Eragon has described, to save the suffering of thousands of families that will loose their loved ones in this attempt, surely that is not too much to ask?" as Eragon retold her tale he could visibly see Tsunade's resolve wavering. Once again she remained quietly contemplating.

"Your terms are far too generous to refuse," said Tsunade, admitting defeat. "However this is not the time or place for me to make the decision. To declare war in our country requires a majority vote from our council, while I'm sure they will be in agreement to the terms, the greedy bastards, it will still take time for an answer. You will most likely have your soldiers, but not immediately, and the decision definitely won't be made before the mission. If you would allow me to borrow Eragon and Saphira along the terms that we attempt to pass the vote to declare war, which may still end in failure, among the other things you've promised we have an agreement," Eragon transferred the message, and this time it was Nasuada's turn to silently contemplate. So the two patiently waited for the reply, which seemed to have no immediate end. Ten minutes into it and the strain from the spell was beginning to exhaust Eragon, he was only moments away from ending the flow of magic when she came to an answer.

"Yes, the terms are agreeable," she said confidently.

"Then I will start on the process immediately," replied Tsunade. "You've given me a mountain of paperwork to fill out along with adding Eragon and Saphira to the official mission roster," with those words she stood up and left the room, leaving Eragon and the phantom image of Nasuada. She looked up at him with an air of urgency, her stern eyes boring into him.

"You had better survive this mission," she said. "That's an _order_."

"I know," replied Eragon. "We won't let you down."

Meanwhile, Tsunade walked down the hallway towards the exit, not even having to think about which direction to turn as she knew the building like the back of her hand. A single thought spun through her head as she finally realized just how strange the encounter was.

'Who would have known that a trip to the hospital would leave me planning for war,' she thought, as she pushed open the glass doors leading out of the building. Her ANBU guard followed closely behind her, while a third watched them from the vents.

"Danzo will want to hear about this," he whispered to himself.

XxXxxxXxX

Sakura walked through the village, admiring the sights and sounds of a flock of brightly colored birds nesting atop power lines. They sang in pretty, high pitched tones and flitted back and forward as they pleased. It didn't take long before she spot one bird, bright orange in color, fighting with a dark blue one. They pecked at each other with their short beaks and buffeted the other with their wings, the whole time a pink bird sat in the back and chirped in fear, fluttering nervously as the two battled each other. It was nostalgic in an oddly painful way, causing her mind to wander to memories she didn't want to relive. Before they got out of hand she banished them from her mind, trying to grasp at something new to think about.

She happened to cross a pair of men digging off the side of the street, most likely to repair a broken pipe, and couldn't help but hear a certain part of their conversation.

"Hey, what's the date today?" one asked, leaning against his shovel for a brief respite.

"It's the twelfth you idiot," growled the other. "Now get back to work, I want to be outta' here by noon,"

Something about the date resonated in Sakura's head, striking a chord of importance, but she couldn't immediately piece it together. Instead she kept walking down the road, not paying attention to where she was until she stood right at the academy's front gate. She smiled as she watched the next generation shinobi running around the yard, playing various ninja games. To the far left she saw the tree swing Naruto favored during their time at the academy, and like a ton of bricks realization hit her.

'It's been three years!' she thought, her eyes widening in shock. Things had happened so quickly that it didn't even feel a fraction of that, with Tsunade's training, the Chunin exams, and Eragon's sudden appearance. 'He'll be back any day now! Or maybe even today!' Naruto had a talent to be right on time for everything, perhaps he'd work some of that magic into his return.

With a smile on her face, Sakura continued her walk, enthusiastic for the days to come.

'I can see the look on Naruto's face when he meets Saphira, it'll be priceless!' she thought evilly, already planning how to make the encounter as surprising as possible, her thoughts were short lived, as she heard a cry from behind her.

"Sakura Nee-chan!" he yelled, it was the voice of Konohamaru, who was now a Genin of Konoha. Sakura turned to see him and his team running down the road.

"Konohamaru?" she said out of surprise.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"The village main gate," replied Sakura. "I'm going to pick up the afternoon traffic report for Tsunade. Want to come?"

After receiving nods from each of the three genin, they walked together to the front gate, all the while Konohamaru gave details on his latest genin mission.

"That stupid cat could really run!" he said in his defense, so as to not look bad, Sakura chuckled at that, remembering one of her team's first missions.

"We had that one too, it's a bit nostalgic," she said, remembering how Naruto got cut up by the same "stupid cat"

"Come to think of it, have you heard anything from Naruto?" asked Konohamaru, with his arms behind his head.

"Nope, nothing at all," she replied. "Although it's about time he returned."

The rest of the trip was carried out in relative silence, every now and then Konohamaru would brag about his training and how he had already got the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu down. The group had just made it to the main gate when they noticed the surprised expression on the guards faces.

"Good afternoon Izumo, Kotetsu!" she called to them, wondering what had their spirits so high.

"They're back!" said one excitedly.

"Hmm?"

"Go take a look around town, you'll see something interesting,"

"Something interesting?" repeated Konohamaru, trying to grasp the significance. Sakura however gasped and looked down the road.

"Could it be?" before anyone could speak further she took off running, leaving her party behind.

"Sakura Nee-chan! Wait up!" called Konohamaru.

XxXxxxXxX

Eragon sat lazily in the gap between spikes at the base of Saphira's neck. He hadn't placed a saddle on her, for Tsunade had forbid them to fly near the village. A fact that outraged Saphira to the point where she amused the thought of how the hokage would taste.

"I wouldn't," said Eragon simply, not even having to hear her thoughts to know what she was thinking.

_'I know, she's needed,'_ growled Saphira. _'I can't eat her until this is all over.'_

'_No it's not that,'_ said Eragon. _'From the look of that bottle, she would probably taste more like alcohol than meat!'_ Saphira released a deep throated laugh, a sound that could be described as a growl mixed with the grinding of stones.

_'That's true,'_ she replied. _'Still, any human that can prevent me from flying is no ally to me. If she weren't so important I'd-'_

_ 'That's enough of that, Saphira,' _said Eragon. _'We'll only be here a day or two more before we are sent on that mission, I'm sure we'll get plenty of flying time,'_

_ 'We had better…' _she growled, and then they moved onto a new topic.

_'What do you think of this village's warriors?' _asked Saphira. Eragon contemplated that for a few moments before he had an outright answer.

_'I can't say for certain,' _he admitted. _'I've never seen one in battle, but occasionally I see one jumping across roofs with ease and speed that shouldn't be human. Sakura said they can use magic, or as she called it 'chakra' maybe they've discovered a way to fuel their reflexes with it.'_

_ 'Possibly…' _said Saphira. '_But have you ever touched the minds of these warriors?'_

_ 'No, they were never close enough to bother me, and I'd prefer not to intrude on their minds, unless I need to.' _

_ 'Well I have,' _stated Saphira. _'Often there will be one of those white-mask-face men watching me. Sometimes when I touch their minds they don't even realize I'm there, where beings of magic can always feel that presence. Whatever chakra is, I'm not sure it's the same as magic.'_

_ 'That seems unlikely,' _said Eragon. _'But it's worth looking into, I'll have to ask Tsunade to let me observe some of them training, so I can get a good idea of what they can do. It wouldn't be wise to go into battle, completely unaware of the enemy's abilities,'_

_ '… How's Arya?' _asked Saphira, careful of her tone as she knew this was touchy ground. Eragon remained silent for a moment before saying.

_'She says that she's fine, but she seems… defeated… I think she was hurt the most when we hadn't contacted them for that month I was in a coma. I think I would feel the same if I thought her dead during that time,'_

_ 'Don't worry, we'll see her soon enough,' _said Saphira, causing Eragon to smile, he would have treasured that moment longer, if he hadn't been interrupted by the sudden appearance of an Anbu. He moved with the swiftness of an elf, to a human's eyes it would appear that he simply appeared out of thin air.

"I'm sorry Eragon-sama, but the hokage wishes to see you in her office, she says it's urgent," he stated while bowing. Eragon wondered why he was being treated with such respect, but didn't complain. He rather liked the village finally showing him the respect he deserved as a dragon rider.

"Alright, I'll be right there," said Eragon before jumping off of Saphira's back. _'I'll see you later, Saphira,'_

_ 'I look forward to it,'_

_-_-_

Eragon made it to the office quickly, copying the Anbu's method of jumping from tree branches not only saved Eragon the energy of running, but it was an exhilarating feeling that he would have to try again later.

Once inside the village he made his way to the large, bright red building that stood at the far end of the village, where the giant stone faces of previous hokages may look down upon it. The village was beautiful in its own urban way, but Eragon still preferred the trees of Du Weldenvarden.

"Great, you're here," said Tsunade as Eragon was escorted to her office by the same Anbu. "Unfortunately the rest of your team is still being summoned, so you should take a seat by Hinata,"

Eragon nearly jumped when he noticed her, she was so silent that she could evade even his super senses and her scent, which was usually potent in humans, was invisible. On top of that was her appearance, she was strikingly beautiful with dark blue-black hair that very much matched the color of Blodhgarm's fur, she was dressed in a heavy pink and tan sweater even though it was the middle of summer and wore dark blue pants with white tape around one leg. What was really strange, though, were her eyes. Eragon had seen blind people before whose eyes had glazed over with a white sheen, but never before had he seen anyone with eyes a shade as hers. Studied carefully they almost appeared a light lavender but at first glance they were a darker shade of white then the surrounding eye. It gave her an air of mystery and somehow kindness when coupled with her shy smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Eragon-kun," she said, at a temporary loss of words Eragon just nodded and tried not to stare at her eyes, although with little success.

Hinata noticed, she was used to getting stares because of her eyes. Even those who have lived in Konoha all their life find the Byakugan strange, for a person who had never heard of the Hyuuga Eragon was actually doing well.

"So, who else is coming on the mission?" asked Eragon as he took his seat, finally able to clear his thoughts.

"I'd rather wait for them to show up then ruin the surprise," said Tsunade with a grin. "But you can rest easy knowing that I picked only the best," and at that very moment the door opened, revealing two other shinobi.

Eragon immediately recognized Sakura as she was the only friend he made during his stay, but the person next to her was a complete mystery. He had gravity defying yellow hair that sat atop a black Konoha headband, his jacket was orange with black sleeves while his pants were just orange. An enormous smile decorated his face, and just above his mouth were three marks, like whiskers, imbedded into his face.

"Long time no see, Grandma Tsunade, Hinata," he said through his smile, it was difficult for Eragon to grasp this as one of the best shinobi in the village, after all, bright orange was hardly inconspicuous.

"Naruto-kun?!" squeaked Hinata, instantly throwing her fingers together and playing with them at a furious pace, her face turned a brighter shade of red than Sakura's dress.

"It's great to see you again, Naruto," said Tsunade. "I take it your training went well, but where's Jiraiya?"

"He said he found some giant footprints in the forest and was going to check them out before he came in," Naruto closed his yes and nodded. "I didn't think they were important, so I came into the village alone," Tsunade sighed and snapped her fingers, immediately two Anbu shot into the room.

"Yes Hokage-sama!" they shouted with a bow.

"Go retrieve Jiraiya, and make sure he's informed about Saphira," she ordered, and without further words they vanished. Meanwhile Naruto looked at her with a confused expression, his eyes must have asked his question for him because Tsunade answered.

"It's a long story, Naruto, and I'd rather Jiraiya be present for the explanation," that seemed to settle his curiosity, and he returned to his grinning.

"Wow, Hinata, you really look great now!" he said, beginning to reacquaint himself with his friends. Hinata didn't answer immediately, from what Eragon could tell she was just moments away from fainting.

"Umm… y-you l-look great t-t-too… Naruto-kun," she stammered as her blush turned from bright red to a color that surpassed it in both glow and volume. It would have taken an idiot to not realize how Hinata felt, so Eragon came to the conclusion that Naruto was indeed, an idiot.

"Wow Hinata, you're warm! Do you have a fever?" he asked, placing his hand on her forehead and getting uncomfortably, or in this case too comfortably close to her. With a shriek of surprise she fell out of her chair and fainted.

"Wha?! Hinata! Are you alright?!" shouted Naruto, afraid that he was the cause of the sudden episode he started apologizing to her unresponsive form. Eragon looked from Sakura, who looked as if this were normal, to Naruto, still continuing his barrage of apologies, to Hinata as she drooled onto the floor.

_'We're going to die on this mission aren't we?' _he asked Saphira.

* * *

YES! this took far longer than it should have, but it's done! I hope this chapter is more interesting than the first, and also I hope you guys like the plot. Please review, I do very much like them, and they tell me how much you like the plot. (fewer reviews the less people I think like the story)

also, I have no beta reader, editor, or anything of that sort, the final filter this goes through is me rereading it, and I'm prone to graze over mistakes. If you see a particularly confusing passage, then tell me and I'll fix it to the best of my ability.

Finally, what do you think of the team? Eragon, Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata? It would be great to have feedback on this, and lastly vote in the poll I have on my profile "What weapon should Naruto learn to use?" I'm preferable to a standard sword, but whatever you guys like I can manage as well!


	3. Chapter 3: The Results of Training

Hurray! Thanks to all of those people who read and reviewed, and to those of you who just read thanks as well (though it would be nice if you reviewed)

Once again there was a problem I discovered, I've had to scramble my brain in order to think of a solution to this tiny problem. The twelve "death words" of the Eragon world, where the spell is instant death to any being... Ummm…. Yaaa… pretend those don't exist, it would be too difficult for me to explain that and keep Eragon from being unstoppable.

Since I don't have much else to say (besides that you should vote in the poll!) I'll just jump right into the action!

Chapter Three: The Results of Training

Eragon was about to get up and leave the office, believing that the meeting was complete. They had been briefed on the mission, given a departure date and time, and were all but dismissed when the word came up.

"But," said Tsunade, dragging the word out to build suspense. "I made this team hastily, after all, Naruto, Eragon, I hardly know of your abilities, as a matter of fact I don't have the slightest clue what you can do," shrugged Tsunade, gesturing toward Eragon. "I can't in good consciousness send this team out without first determining both of your skill, and also testing how you will all function as a team," she said, while twirling a pen a sinister look crossed her face. "As such, I have developed a tests for you in the days before your mission."

Eragon sighed, he should have expected something like this. He placed himself firmly back in the chair, waiting for more instructions. He wasn't waiting long.

"The test will be for Naruto and Eragon alone," she said, Hinata and Sakura burst a sigh of relief. "This is to determine what skills you have and how you may fit within the team. Don't think just because I have asked you to be here I won't kick you off the team if you will only hold it back. With that said, your test will be to fight a certain shinobi in a two on one battle, you will be kept or kicked off the team based on how well you do, not if you win or lose,"

"Alright!" shouted Naruto, pumping his fist. "Who's our opponent?! I can't wait to test my new skill!"

"Your opponent is a shinobi with skill rivaling that of a hokage, as a matter of fact he was even offered the job, and even more conveniently, he's been eavesdropping on us since the meeting began,"

Just as Eragon was going to question what she meant, a silver head of hair poked into the window. The man wore a dark blue face mask with his headband lazily covering his left eye, atop of it was a leaning tower of silver hair. He wore an olive green shinobi vest with dark blue pants. Once again, Eragon was surprised that his senses hadn't picked up this person. He would have to be more cautious during the mission as these shinobi seemed to be experts at hiding themselves.

"Yo!" he said with a lazy wave of his hand, his visible eye curled into an awkward "eye smile." "Long time no see, Naruto!" he said to the blond, then focusing his attention to Eragon. "And a pleasure to meet you, Eragon,"

"Is Kakashi-sensei our opponent?" asked Naruto in disbelief, Eragon cocked his head in confusion, he wished people would let him know what was going on.

"Yep," replied the silver haired Jonin. Suddenly, Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered something important.

"By the way, I have something for you!" exclaimed Naruto, digging into the tan pack around his waist. He slowly produced a bright green book that Kakashi stared at with disbelief.

"Is that? It can't be?!" he said as he accepted the book from his former pupil.

"The latest installment!" said Naruto smugly. "I think it's boring, but you seem to like them!" Kakashi paid no notice to the blond as he opened the cover, a golden light shot from the pages and reflected off his face.

"It's… beautiful," said Kakashi, staring into the perverted novels depths.

"Kakashi, focus!" shouted Tsunade. "You don't have time to read right now, I need Naruto and Eragon to be tested _today_!"

"I see," said Kakashi, closing the cover and regaining composure. "Shouldn't they rest for the day, after all Naruto did just get back…"

"No excuses Kakashi!" shouted Tsunade. "The test starts as soon as possible!"

"Alright…" moaned Kakashi. "Meet me at training ground nine in two hours," he said, less than enthusiastically, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Eragon raised an eyebrow in surprise, but decided that it was probably a shinobi trick, they were masters of stealth after all, opening his mind a bit, Eragon found him only a few feet away.

Tsunade sighed after Kakashi departed, she knew as well as anyone who had ever worked with him that he would be at least an hour late, possibly more because of that book.

"Alright, the meeting is over," she said. "Do what you wish until the test, but I would recommend that you go watch some of the other shinobi training, so you know what you're up against," Eragon nodded in agreement, it would be a better use of time then doing nothing, plus he might be able to get some sword practice in.

"Alright! Ichiraku Ramen here I come!" shouted Naruto celebrating his pre-victory meal, but Eragon had other plans.

"Sorry Naruto," he said. "But we should go to the… training ground together, I need to know your skills if we are to make a good… team," Naruto looked at him funny, most likely because of the way Eragon spoke, adding an Alagaesian accent to his words probably confused him.

"He doesn't speak our language very well yet," explained Sakura, noticing the awkwardness. "He's from far away and is helping us as payment to help him get back home," after the explanation Naruto made an O shape with his mouth, but quickly moved to rectify the situation.

"Sorry about that, you just sounded weird is all, dattebayo!" exclaimed Naruto, Eragon didn't know whether to be friendly or offended, but after a quick thought he decided the first option as the better path. They shook hands and made sure there were no hard feelings before Eragon just had to ask.

"What does Dattebayo mean?" He asked in a polite tone, getting a confused look from Naruto.

"I don't think it means anything, I've never heard anyone say it before, dattebayo," explained Naruto, only increasing Eragon's confusion.

"But you just said it!"

"Did I?" asked Naruto rolling his eyes as if he were trying to remember something years ago. "I don't think so,"

_-_-_

"So, physical attacks are called taijutsu?" repeated Eragon. As he walked with Naruto he had the blond fill him in on some of the basics.

"Yep, and there's ninjutsu, what gives shinobi their awesome abilities, and genjutsu, which works like illusions and stuff, to tell the truth I don't know much about that one," continued Naruto as they entered the first training ground, several younger shinobi, probably genin, were practicing throwing around kunai at small dummies.

_'So they do use magic, or at least something like it,' _Eragon thought to Saphira.

_'So it seems…' _said Saphira, deep in thought._ 'I would focus on learning all you can about "ninjutsu" while you're training,'_ replied Saphira. _'I've asked Glaedr about it, but he says that he's never heard of it.'_

"I understand," said Eragon as they neared the entrance of training ground two, which was conveniently empty. Four human shaped wooden dummies stood at the center, each had a target on its head and chest. They were so worn down, burnt, and overall pathetic looking that they may have fallen apart at any time.

"Looks like it's almost time to replace the dummies," muttered Naruto to himself. "I guess this is a good spot, what would you like to start with?"

"I think I'd like to see… ninjutsu first," replied Eragon, preparing himself for anything, Naruto grinned and nodded.

"I thought so, it's definitely the coolest!" he said through his smile. "But it's a little complicated, rather than tell you, I'll just show you," without waiting for Eragon to reply, Naruto placed his hands together in a strange manner and yelled. "Henge!" an explosion of smoke enveloped Naruto's body, and for a moment Eragon was scared that something went wrong, but his worries were for naught when the smoke finally cleared to reveal Naruto, or at least what used to be Naruto.

Now, standing in front of Eragon was an exact look-alike of himself, with the pointed ears and everything, the only difference was the uncontrolled smile on the former Naruto's face. After a few more seconds the Eragon copy disappeared in another blast of smoke, leaving Naruto behind yet again.

Eragon was surprised, that was evident, but he wasn't astonished. After all he was thousands of miles away from Alagaesia, he could safely expect anything at that moment. Instead of dwelling on it, he asked the second question that came to his mind.

"Why did you have to clap your hands together like that?" the question took Naruto by surprise, and he had to think for a moment before answering.

"Honestly, I wasn't paying attention during that part of the academy," he admitted. "But it has something to do with controlling your chakra to make it do different things. The longer the sequence of hand signs the easier the jutsu would be to control. Eragon nodded, applying it to the rules of magic he knew.

_'It's a lot like how a more descriptive phrase in the Ancient Language will make a spell easier… I wonder…'_

"How much energy did it take to do that?" asked Eragon, asking another question Naruto wasn't expecting.

"Almost none really," he replied. "I have a lot more chakra than most shinobi, but even the newest can do it without losing much chakra."

"Is chakra the same thing as energy?" asked Eragon immediately after, this time Naruto was able to answer just as fast.

"No… chakra is a type of energy that exists along side your normal energy, which shinobi call stamina. After a lot of practice controlling it you can convert chakra into stamina, and stamina into chakra, but for whatever reason you use less chakra when using jutsu then if you used stamina to do the same thing," With that, Eragon came to a conclusion.

_'So, chakra is like energy, but more efficient at fueling jutsu. Maybe it has the same effect on magic?' _the explanation didn't seem too farfetched. _'So things that would be impossible for humans to do with magic are easy when chakra is use… but how much more efficient is it. I could transform my entire body with magic if I wished, but it would take a long time, while Naruto did it instantly…'_

"Eragon? Is something wrong?" asked Naruto, worrying about Eragon's silence.

"Er, no, nothing at all," said Eragon. "Anyway, let's get started,"

XxXxxxXxX

The room glowed with the wavering light of a flame lantern, the brown-orange walls taking on an eerie presence. The room smelled of mildew and earth, but that didn't seem to bother its occupants.

"What do you want?" asked Sasuke impatiently, his soulless black eyes boring into the chair directly ahead. It swiveled around to reveal an abnormally pale man with golden yellow eyes, a long, thin smile crossed his face.

"Now now, Sasuke, let's have a little respect," hissed the man in a mocking voice, when the other remained silent he simply let loose an eerie chuckle. "I see... I've found a mission for you, a way to test your results," he let his words die away, to see if his student would reply, once again the Uchiha remained arrogantly silent, though this only seemed to excite the man.

"In one week the Spirit Country will be transporting its greatest treasure, a ritual that they perform once every thousand years," he explained. "It's considered suicidal to attempt to steal it, as it's guarded most heavily,"

"Then why send me?" asked Sasuke, keeping the impatient tone. Once again the strange man chuckled.

"Because, it is not the treasure I want, I found a much more valuable prize," the smile on his face grew several inches longer as he prepared to explain. "In charge of the Spirit Country is a priestess, she is said to be the most beautiful woman to walk the earth, but above that many say that she is immortal. While the artifact is being transported her guards are split among the two tasks, making her an easy target,"

"So I'm to bring her to you," replied Sasuke, preparing to leave. "Understood," he said, before turning towards the door.

"I'm not quite finished yet," said the man, holding back another laugh, he loved to build suspense. "It would interest you to know that a certain Naruto Uzumaki has been selected in order to protect her and the treasure."

Sasuke halted where he stood for a brief moment before continuing to walk forward, his eyes narrowed as he scowled.

'This is just another test,' he realized. 'he wants to know if I would kill him,' rather than giving Orochimaru the mental victory of angering Sasuke Uchiha he simply turned and growled.

"Understood," his eyes burned a crimson red as he glared at the snake sannin, what would have rooted the most fearsome warriors to the ground just made Orochimaru squirm with ecstasy. With that Sasuke left the room, deep in thought, as the insane shinobi behind him laughed.

The heavy iron door shut behind him with an echoing "thud" as Sasuke walked down one of the infinitely long corridors, he passed hundreds of cells containing those Orochimaru kept prisoner for his ludicrous experiments. One of such prisoners tried to reach out and stab Sasuke with a makeshift weapon, unphased, Sasuke walked past as the severed hand of his offender fell to the floor.

Screams echoed through the hall as the Uchiha neared the hideouts entrance. He made his way through the hidden indentation in a tree and exited from the underground lair, giving his eyes a moment to adjust to the sunlight. He frowned and growled one word before moving onto his mission.

"Naruto…"

XxXxxxXxX

Naruto and Eragon stood, panting, across from each other, Eragon gripped Brisingr lightly, the usually featherweight sword felt like lead in his grasp, but through that he still managed to smile. All doubt of Naruto's fighting skill had left him and for the first time he realized just what kind of allies shinobi were. Even with ninjutsu and genjutsu aside the young blond's strength equaled that of an elf, while his speed, granted only in short bursts, surpassed even his own. Above that, he didn't give up, a trait that could mean the difference in the war.

"Enough," said Eragon, finally. "I need to take a break," immediately, Naruto sighed and fell to the ground.

"Owww…" he moaned. "Did you really have to hit me that hard?" he asked, rubbing the places where Brisingr left arm-sized bruises. While Eragon had blocked the blade's edges it still did great damage.

"Sorry," said Eragon. "I could heal those if you'd like,"

"No thanks," replied Naruto. "They'll be gone soon anyway," even as he spoke, Eragon noticed one of his arm bruises shrinking.

"Wow, chakra is really amazing," said Eragon. "With magic, I wouldn't be able to heal those that easily.

"You're not half bad yourself," added Naruto, wiping his brow. "I couldn't fight as well as you without using chakra," he admitted with a sigh. "Are you even human?"

Eragon chuckled. "Sort of," he replied, but before Naruto had the opportunity to inquire further Eragon stood up to leave. "I'm going to rest for a while, unlike you my bruises take energy to heal,"

In short time, Eragon found himself resting against Saphira's warm scales as he preformed some more leisurely work, like magically shaving the beard stubble that had grown along his face, healing the bruises that Naruto left him, and speaking with Glaedr.

_'This has to be the weirdest place in the world,' _said Eragon, thinking about the newer things he had learned. _'humans as powerful as elves, chakra, and the strangest selection of food,' _Eragon took another look at the steaming bowl of "Ramen" he had picked up on his way, in Alagaesia noodles hadn't been created so he was immediately skeptical of the worm-like things, despite the beautiful aroma they gave off.

_'I agree,' _muttered Glaedr. _'So many things that shouldn't be possible, yet they are here. This may be the greatest discovery of all time, a whole new continent of information,'_

_ 'Judging by the fact we can find home again,' _replied Eragon. _'There's a reason we hadn't discovered this place earlier, maybe the distance is too great, or a spell, like that on Du Weldenvarden protects from crossing,'_

_ 'For our sake, no, Alagaesia's sake we had better hope it's not the latter, or we never will return,' _the words smote Eragon with a new fear, one that he had narrowly avoided throughout his stay. The prophecy told by Angela. In that moment his hope was about dead.

_'No,' _said Saphira to both Glaedr and Eragon. _'We will make it back, if the sea is too large for your boats I will fly farther than I've ever flown, if there's a barrier we will break it. I won't stay back and wait for the outcome, sooner would I die trying,'_ the clearing was strangely silent after that, minutes went by before Eragon had the courage to speak up.

_'Saphira is right,' _he said. _'We will return or die, it's as simple as that,'_

_ 'I only wish that to be true…' _muttered Glaedr, before retreating from their minds.

Eragon remained by Saphira's side for another couple of minutes before it was time for him to meet with Naruto. Instead of walking back he placed the saddle Oromis gave him on her back, a dragon rider doesn't fight alone.

'_Finally, something to do!' _exclaimed Saphira as her powerful muscles flexed and tightened, preparing for her ascent.

'_Let's try not to win too quickly!" _joked Eragon, just before shooting into the sky. With two mighty pumps of Saphira's wings, and a roar of joy they were airborne, soaring over the village in a matter of seconds.

Eragon enjoyed the short flight immensely, it had been weeks since he had flown and it felt great to be back in the sky with his partner. However the fun was short lived, they quickly located Naruto among the training grounds and dove down to meet him.

Naruto watched their descent with gaping eyes, while he and Jiraiya had been told about Saphira, there was no way he could have comprehended her being so imposing. As soon as she landed, the sapphire dragon held itself high and surveyed the surroundings like a person of royal lineage. Passing over things as they were of no interest to her until she came to Naruto, for a brief moment she stared directly into his eyes, and Naruto marveled at the depth of the large blue orbs that were Saphira's eyes. Then, as if from thin air he heard a voice.

'_It is a pleasure to meet you, friend-of-Eragon,' _she said as her mouth formed a fanged grin. Naruto stood baffled for another moment before replying.

"L-likewise, S-Saphira," he said, as Eragon leapt down from the saddle at the base of her neck.

"So, where's Kakashi, I expected him to be here by now," Said Eragon, Naruto was able to break out of his stupor to gain a look of annoyance.

"Late, as usual," he replied. "Probably reading that stupid book," however, this time Kakashi was on time, a fact Eragon noticed after a quick sweep with his mind. He grinned at the fact, the silver haired Jonin could hide himself as well as he pleased, but even he couldn't hide his mind. Naruto, however, got the pleasure to find out the hard way where his sensei was.

Eragon heard the faint rustle of leaves followed by the swoosh of movement, before he actually saw Kakashi, and while Naruto had his back turned and definitely hadn't seen his approach, he still managed to dodge away from the kunai, shaving only a single strand of blond hair.

"I'm impressed," said the Jonin. "You seem more aware than ever, Naruto," the blond gave a sly grin in return, moving into a ready stance. "As for you, Eragon… You should probably be paying more atten-" at that moment, Kakashi expected to see his Kage Bunshin jump out from the tree line and attack Eragon, what he did not expect was for that clone to be smashed into oblivion by the sapphire blue dragon's tail.

_'I've been trying to teach him the same thing since I hatched,' _teased Saphira, projecting her thoughts to everyone in the clearing. Eragon released the tension in his body a little, he expected to be able to feel the minds of the clones, but apparently they were undetectable.

_'It's always something with these shinobi,' _he thought, before drawing Brisingr from its blue scabbard. Using a spell of his own creation, Eragon "half-blocked" the swords cutting edge. This left it as sharp as any normal sword, but not the razor sharp of a rider's sword. Eragon ended by giving a nodding motion towards Naruto, who gave of a great smirk.

"The bell test again?" he said, noticing the two silver bells hanging from the Jonin's belt.

"Yep, but with one major difference," he said with an eye smile. "All you must do is retrieve both bells, no trick teamwork thing. Now, with Kakashi distracted, Eragon was at the opportunity to do two things. He could end the fight before it started and retrieve the bells through magic, or he could try and ambush their opponent and keep the fight going, he was all for the second option.

With inhuman quickness, Eragon charged his opponent, his speed as great as any Shinobi. Brisingr clove an overhand arc through the air, missing its target by a hair's breadth as Kakashi sidestepped. Without hesitating, Kakashi drew a kunai from within his sleeve and stabbed with it, aiming for the dragon rider's chest. Brisingr came up to meat the kunai head on, sending a shower of sparks around the combatants. The world appeared in slow motion as Eragon and Kakashi exchanged lightning fast blows, though neither had the upper hand.

Suddenly, a fist penetrated the fighting, coming dangerously close to Kakashi as he bent backwards to avoid it, in that moment Eragon spun back and in a sweeping kick knocked the Jonin off his feet. Undeterred, Kakashi preformed several back handsprings to distance himself from the fight, which even he would have difficulty winning.

"Just as hasty as ever, Naruto!" mentioned Kakashi as he pulled his headband over his right eye, revealing the sharingan. Naruto explained the eyes looks and powers to Eragon prior, but it still gave an eerie chill down his spine.

"Maybe," said Naruto with a smirk. "But I'm not the same as our first fight!" with that, four clones burst from the ground surrounding Kakashi, who had no problem dispatching them with a few quick movements. However, he soon fell under one of the most useful abilities of the shadow clones, a thick smokescreen.

'Making my sharingan useless with a smokescreen,' thought Kakashi. 'not bad, Naruto,' yet even with that disadvantage, Kakashi was able to hold his own against the next couple of stealth strikes from his two opponents, using only smell and sound to dodge until the smokescreen had completely dissipated.

It was then that Kakashi noticed Saphira was no longer on the ground. With a roar of challenge, the mighty dragon folded its wings in and dove at the shinobi, a thin trail of blue flame trailing from her nostrils. From that distance it didn't matter if Kakashi was able to dodge, Saphira was at leisure so change her direction at a moments notice, so with dodging out of the question he would have to resort to blocking. Easier said than done when you're trying to block a dragon.

In a flurry of hand signs Kakashi readied the only Jutsu he had that could defend against that kind of power.

"Doton, Doryuuheki!" he shouted, a thick wall of mud shot up around Kakashi and instantly solidified, leaving a powerful barrier with several earth spikes facing the diving dragon.

Eragon knew that Saphira couldn't get through those spikes, thinking quickly he chanted a short spell and grinned, using water from within the earth he turned the solid wall into a flimsy mud ball. Before Kakashi could escape a pair of giant claws tore through the walls, knocking Kakashi off his feet and flying through the air. He landed hard on his back several feet away.

"Yes!" shouted Eragon, pumping his fist while Saphira let loose a trumpet of victory.

"It's not over yet," said Naruto, and sure enough the Kakashi lying on the ground vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a mangled log.

"What?!" exclaimed Eragon.

"It's a substitution jutsu ," explained Naruto. "It allows you to switch places with an object that's about your size and weight, he's probably hiding in the trees, waiting to ambush us,"

"Not for long," growled Eragon, searching the vicinity with his mind, his search was unfruitful until he detected a large consciousness moving quickly through the trees, unmistakably the shinobi they were after. "Found him, he's about half a mile this way!"

_-_-_

An hour passed since the fight began, and Kakashi found himself running more and more. It quickly became apparent that Eragon was a sensor type, and coupled with his excellent sword play, speed, and strange arsenal of jutsu he was damn near impossible to fight. Add into the equation Naruto and that massive dragon and you had no chance.

Kakashi faced one fact that he had never dealt with before, he was outclassed by the three of them. His only chance was to get them alone, but even then Eragon could remain in constant contact with Naruto and the dragon, as he appeared to be able to speak telepathically.

'I know so little about his abilities,' realized Kakashi. 'It's not just his skill, but it's my lack of knowledge that is the problem,' finally Kakashi came to a conclusion. 'I've already lost… but that doesn't mean I can't make a final stand!' Kakashi stopped running and waited for his opponents, he picked the one place to be where he had the advantage, a lake. Eragon appeared to lack the skill to walk on water, making the water impossible for him to fight on… unless of course he rode on the back of Saphira.

Naruto announced their arrival with a bang, charging forward with a Rasengan in his hands. The Jonin didn't fall for it one second, the real Naruto wasn't stupid enough to charge him head on like that. With minimal effort, Kakashi dispatched the clone, satisfied when it disappeared in a blast of smoke.

The real Naruto and Eragon entered through the tree line, getting a good look at the small lake. Eragon recognized the problem immediately and called for Saphira.

"You go on ahead," he told Naruto. "I think he's done running, keep him busy until Saphira arrives, I've had enough of this fight,"

"Got it!" said Naruto, walking slowly onto the water, staring his opponent down. Kakashi did the same thing, he knew he would have to take this seriously. They remained locked for a few more moments before charging at the same time, each with a kunai at hand.

The blades flashed together multiple times, before Kakashi got the upper hand and kicked Naruto back with bone shattering force. The blond skid across the water for a brief moment, before exploding in a puff of smoke.

'Another shadow clone?!' realized Kakashi, the water all around him exploded upwards as hundreds of Naruto clones flew out of the water, their shouts filled the air with a one-voiced chorus. Instead of fighting each one Kakashi leapt into the air, forming a barrage of hand signs as he came to the peak of his jump he released the chakra.

"Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" he shouted, blasting the clones with a giant torrent of flame. Unfortunately for him Saphira appeared over the tree line just in time to see the Jutsu, her eyes formed a testing scowl as she landed to pick up Eragon.

_'So, the human thinks he's a dragon,' _mocked Saphira. _'let's see how he does against __**my**__ fire!' _with a challenging bellow she jumped into the sky, flying just above the surface of the water. Naruto kneeled panting on its surface a few feet away from Kakashi, burns covering much of his body. Saphira slowed to a hover right beside the blond, the last foot of her tail submerged in the water as she reared her head.

Kakashi almost missed what was coming, to him it looked like Saphira was about to unleash a massive roar, if he hadn't noticed the flames gathering around her mouth he would never have noticed and been burnt to a crisp. Ignoring the hand signs and feeding off the chakra still available from his last shot, Kakashi unleashed a massive fireball towards the dragon and her rider. Simultaneously, Saphira did the same.

There was absolutely no contest.

The blue-laced dragon fire engulfed Kakashi's fireball within seconds, not even slowing down the flame traveled forward until Kakashi felt his skin burning from its intensity. In a last ditched effort to save himself, he released the Katon Jutsu and faster than he had ever before preformed the hand signs for a suiton jutsu. Without time to even say the jutsu name, Kakashi erected a bubble of water around him, feeding it chakra for it to grow larger as the flames engulfed his only lifeline. The dragon fire hissed as it touched the water, shrinking the bubble faster than Kakashi could poor chakra into it. Moments that felt weeks long past for Kakashi, his chakra was almost completely depleted yet the fire showed no sign of letting up. The water boiled around him, burning his flesh, but still the flames didn't stop. Finally, after a fifteen second long inferno, the flames disappeared.

As soon as the flames were gone, the water fell from around Kakashi and landed in the lake with a splash, a wave of exhaustion unlike any he had felt before washed of the Jonin. His chakra had reached absolute zero, unable to sustain himself the Jonin blacked out.

The battle was over.

* * *

YAY! chapter three, and the first fight is over!!!

Now let me explain some things before I get a bunch of Kakashi lover hate. There are only three reasons why Eragon and Naruto won. First off is that I overpowered Eragon in this fic, there's no way he could compete with the speed of a shinobi, especially not Kakashi in the books, so I gave him a little boost. Second is that Kakashi knew nothing about his abilities, Eragon could have retrieved the bells by saying a few words, but that would be no fun. Finally... Saphira... I don't care who you are, how powerful, or how big a fireball you can create. She's a freaking DRAGON, you lose by default.

I hoped you like the chapter, and if you didn't I hope you stay a little longer. I rushed through this in order to get to the next few chapter, in which there will be more epic fights, a few major plot twists, and much more ramen!


	4. Chapter 4: On the Road

Well… I had planned to do a filler chapter in Konoha the day before the mission, but as I tried to write that I kept un-doing, re-doing, deleting… In all, it just wasn't going to work, so I'm just going to skip to the mission.

Sorry I took so long, and thanks to my loyal reviewers (especially Forest hero) for inspirational words and great feedback. This chapter gave me writers block for months, and hopefully that won't happen again.

Chapter Four: On the Road

Once again Eragon found himself seated inside Tsunade's office, a place he had come to hate more and more. It wasn't the office itself that bugged him, but simply the fact that when inside he never got any good news, or news at all for that matter. It always seemed to be an issue of the mission, like details or strategies that came up last minute, or a villager's complaint that their animals/loved ones had gone missing and immediately blamed Saphira.

Eragon had definitely become the center of attention in the village as his reputation grew. It started among the shinobi after rumor had spread of his victory against Kakashi. Of course that rumor was so blown out of proportion by now he had single handedly defeated Kakashi as easily as if he were only a genin. Not only was that anything but true, the fact still remained that Kakashi should have won their fight, but only lost due to terrible planning and luck.

Now he found himself with the rest of "his team" the morning of the mission, being briefed by Tsunade one last time, which meant going over information he had already known for weeks now. What he really wanted to know was the status of the alliance between Konoha and Alagaesia, though Tsunade seemed reluctant to bring that up.

"Remember, this mission is extremely important to Konoha," said Tsunade in a powerful voice. "If you fail it will certainly lead to tense relations with the Spirit country, which could escalate into a full scale war with any of our enemies,"

"We know this already!" complained Naruto. "Why are we wasting time here?"

"Because," answered Tsunade with a sigh. "Something has popped up, it is vital you know the importance of this mission so you don't get sidetracked," now she had grabbed the full attention of everyone in the room, even Eragon cocked his head in interest.

"Several people have reported seeing Sasuke Uchiha heading in the direction of the spirit country," she said with a stern tone, Eragon's three teammates' eyes lit up with surprise. "It is vital that this should not distract you, you are in no way to search for Sasuke on this mission unless he makes himself a direct threat to the priestess or the treasure," Naruto clenched his fist, looking torn between the words, but through his frustration he managed to get the will to say.

"Understood," even though there was a hint of reluctance in it, Tsunade knew that he could be trusted.

"The second piece of information is for you, Eragon," said the hokage, sounding a bit worried. "It's most likely nothing, but there have been reports of a warrior claiming to be from a far off land, he has left very few survivors in his wake but from what we have gathered he his tall, garbed in heavy armor, and carries a blood red sword," immediately Eragon's eyes rose in surprise, but he quickly calmed himself, there was no way it could be who he thought it was. Tsunade noticed his reaction, and was quick to give him the remaining facts.

"It's uncertain of where he is from, but he's obviously looking for something, he has searched every village he's come to. However he always disappears whenever a shinobi arrives to investigate. I don't find it likely, but it is possible that he is from Alagaesia, and judging by your reaction he seems familiar,"

"No," answered Eragon. "It's just coincidence, if… if he were actually here it would be obvious. This man is probably just a missing nin." Tsunade gave him a harsh look as if expecting more, but soon let up and continued.

"You will be traveling by means of boat at Fune Port, along the Fire Country's southern shore. It will take no more than five days to reach your destination at Reikon Gakure no Sato (A/N translates to hidden soul village, but may not be correct) I expect you to leave within the hour. Dismissed!"

The word Eragon had been waiting hours to hear, finally he could go do something other than sit and be bored. Shinobi politics took far too much time, it was almost comparable to Dwarf politics… almost.

_'That mysterious warrior with the red blade,' _said Saphira through their link. '_It worries me, why would Murtagh come here?'_

_ 'Exactly, Galbatorix wouldn't try to transport me where he planned on performing a search,' _replied Eragon. _'And Murtagh wouldn't go anywhere without Thorn, I'm sure this is all just coincidence,'_

_ 'I hope so,' _muttered Saphira, before returning to hunting. She had located the tracks of a deer and wouldn't be hungry much longer.

As Eragon left another thought crossed his mind, the other person Tsunade spoke about, Sasuke Uchiha. Vaguely, he remembered the name from elsewhere, something Sakura said a few weeks ago. Quickly he decided that it was vital he knew about this character.

"Sakura," he said to the pink haired kunoichi just as she was about to exit the mansion. "What can you tell me about Sasuke Uchiha?" immediately Eragon felt the room turn ice cold, Naruto had overheard the question and froze in his steps, Hinata stared worried at him. Sakura bowed her head, Eragon realized he hit a very dark subject. The group was silent, before Sakura finally got the courage to speak up.

"Sasuke… was a shinobi of Konoha a few years ago. He was the top of his class, being a descendant of the Uchiha clan that never surprised anyone. When we first started the academy he was always smiling and bragging about how awesome his brother was. It all changed after…"

"The massacre," finished Eragon, he had read about the Uchiha massacre earlier that week, though at the time he found it unimportant.

Sakura nodded her head "yes" and continued her story. "Sasuke was… distressed after that, but eventually he came back to the academy. He was dark and miserable, but he still managed to be number one…"

"What happened after?" asked Eragon, this time Naruto decided to speak up.

"Sasuke was tricked by a man named Orochimaru," growled Naruto. "He promised Sasuke the power to get revenge on his brother, and Sasuke left the village. In trying to bring him back, our entire team was split up, several of us were put in intensive care. In the end we failed, but we haven't given up on him, We'll bring Sasuke back… some day," Naruto said the last part with the headstrong confidence only he could muster, in that moment, Eragon saw the makings of a great leader in him but before he could think about it further the moment passed.

'I know the feeling,' thought Eragon, realizing that his relationship with Murtagh wasn't very different. A brief moment of silence fell across the group before Eragon managed to grab a hold on logic.

"Be that as it may, we still have a job to do. Pack what you need, but keep it as light as possible. If there's an emergency I want it so Saphira can at least carry us for a few minutes," the shinobi responded instantly with a nod and scattered in every direction, gathering the essentials for the trip.

'Murtagh… ,' thought Eragon, Naruto's story had given him a dim light of hope that he could save his friend, but Eragon was wise enough to know that it was foolish to cling to.

_-_-_

Hinata was ready long before the others, she had packed her bag five days ago, knowing how important being prepared was. After throwing her large tan backpack on her shoulders and checking her appearance in the mirror she was ready to get going. A faint blush crossed her cheeks when she thought about Naruto. He had only been back for a few days, yet his growth amazed her. Not only in appearance, but also maturity, even if Sakura was convinced he hadn't changed at all.

Then she took one last look in the mirror, wondering if Naruto thought the same thing about her. She frowned as she examined her hair and her eyes, then that only became worse as she went further down.

'I haven't changed much at all…' she thought with a sigh, and with let down spirits she left her room, taking the window exit. Within minutes she was at the front gate, meeting up with Eragon, who rested on the saddle strapped onto his dragon's body. He lay down lazily, watching the clouds drift by, Hinata was sure he hadn't noticed him which startled her all the more when he waved at her. Then she remembered that Eragon had the ability to sense the minds of other's nearby.

What she didn't now was as a side effect to that ability, Eragon would hear the thoughts of those around him, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore them he couldn't help but know what was on Hinata's mind.

_'that kind of mood simply won't do on this trip,' _he mentioned to Saphira, who released a puff of smoke from her nostrils as an affirmative.

"Hinata, mind if I talk with you for a while?" he asked, sitting up in the saddle. The Hyuuga nodded solemnly, still deep in thought. "Is it true that you're one of the best shinobi in the village?" the question caught her completely by surprise, and snapped her out of her thoughts long enough to answer.

"N-no, I'm not all that great!" she stammered quickly. "Who told you that?"

"Actually, Naruto did. He thinks very highly of you," said Eragon, receiving a surprised look from Hinata, a blush spread across her face like wildfire. "Before the fight with Kakashi, I asked him about you and Sakura. He said you were, in his exact words, the coolest shinobi ever. He told me about your fight at the Chunin exams and how you stood up to Neji throughout the whole match.

"But… I-I lost that match," she said quietly.

"That doesn't matter," said Eragon. "It's not that you won or lost, it's that you stood up for what you believed in and didn't give up. That's way more important than strength alone," Hinata's blush grew even brighter as she turned away, however, now a smile adorned her face.

'Thank you, Eragon-kun,' she thought, even though it was a private thought, Eragon heard it well enough, and feeling good that he had helped her out went back to watching the clouds.

_'You know, it wasn't right of you to lie to her like that,' _said Saphira.

_'I didn't lie, Naruto spoke each of those words himself... even if he was only thinking them,' _replied Eragon with a grin.

_-_-_

The rest of the team made it shortly after, first Sakura, then Naruto a few minutes later. The blond shinobi had a grin stretching from ear to ear, the smile took up so much muscle power that his eyes didn't even have the strength to stay open.

"You sure seem happy," remarked Eragon, descending from Saphira's back. The blond turned to him, threw his hands behind his head and chuckled.

"Why wouldn't I be," he replied. "This is the first real mission I've had in three years, I can't wait to show everyone how strong I've gotten! Especially that bastard, Sasuke,"

"Glad to hear it," stated Eragon, before turning towards the gate. "The sooner we get to Fune port the sooner we get to stay in a warm bed. Let's see if we can't get there by tomorrow. With that they were off, running at high speeds down the road as Saphira flew overhead, however, even the speed of shinobi couldn't keep up with the dragon at full power, so Saphira's flight was at a leisurely pace and she enjoyed every minute of it.

The group blazed away, mile after mile fell behind them extraordinarily quickly. Using the tree branches allowed them to move faster still, yet Eragon still was left a few feet behind the group. His elven speed just couldn't keep up with the other's chakra enhanced legs.

Hours went by quickly, as the group found ways to entertain themselves on the go. Saphira played a game of riddles with Hinata and Sakura through their minds, while Naruto and Eragon competed at who could do the coolest acrobatics from tree to tree. Eragon found himself winning more often than losing, thanks to his elven agility and the flexibility he achieved through the Rigmar. Naruto always made sure to even the score using a few shadow clones to give him a little extra boost, which Eragon constantly pointed out was cheating.

Eventually the sun fell low in the sky, and Eragon decided it was time to set up camp. The group stopped in a small clearing with a gentle river flowing a short ways away. Sleeping bags were rolled out and a fire was started in no time, leaving the group a little time to relax and catch their breath.

The speed of their travel was taxing, even by the standards of shinobi, but there quickened pace did bring some good news as Sakura rolled out the map.

The Fire Country stood as a huge expanse of green neighbored closely by the two other big countries whose names eluded Eragon. Sakura had marked the map at every landmark they passed, making a more or less straight trail towards the southern portion of the country. Dragging her finger along the parchment, Sakura found about where they were right now.

"Wow, we've made great time!" she exclaimed, letting her finger rest just an inch and a half away from Fune port. Eragon wasn't sure how many miles had gone by, since the system for measuring distance was different here, but they had traveled at least five inches away from Konoha. Easily a few hundred miles, Eragon had to admit he was impressed.

_'If only there were forest like this across Alagaesia,' _he mentioned to Saphira, who was circling around the clearing, finding a suitable place to land. '_The elves cold use tree travel much more efficiently than walking,'_

_ 'I, for one, am glad there aren't,' _growled Saphira, Eragon could feel her frustration. '_It makes it far too difficult to fly,' _and with that Saphira came crashing through the canopy, knocking the tops off of a few trees as she landed clumsily in the camp. The gusts from her wings buffeted their campfire out of existence and her landing sent a tremor through the ground that startled every bird in the vicinity.

_'If this forest were any denser, I would have to land in the trees!' _she complained, tucking in her wings so they didn't smack into the trees surrounding them. Eragon couldn't help but chuckle, which received an un-amused blast of smoke from Saphira's nostrils.

"Alright, let's get that fire made again," said Eragon, realizing, for the first time in a long time, he was actually _enjoying_ himself.

XxXxxxXxX

Sasuke found himself staring into the endless desert of the wind country, unlike Naruto's company he would be taking the long way to the Spirit Country, through the Wind country and south, passing through a few minor countries before making it to his destination.

Without a sound he began walking through the sand, which would no doubt slow his progress even further. It was probably nothing, but Sasuke felt something off from the moment he entered the desert. As if a sixth sense were tugging at him, telling him something. Unfortunately, Sasuke could not figure out what it meant, so he ignored it and kept walking… and walking.

He walked for miles until he saw the sun dip dangerously low in the sky. Darkness fell quick in the desert, so he decided it would be wise to set up camp.

"Camp" consisted of a sleeping bag and a meal of deer jerky, and before too long, as it tends to be in the desert, it was dark. Sighing, Sasuke took one last bite out of the meat before lying down in the sleeping bag. Sand was even less comfortable than the rock beds in Orochimaru's hide outs, which meant it was going to be a looong night.

Which is exactly why Sasuke noticed _them._

He heard the footsteps for a long time before he actually saw them, but he figured they were just travelers, not unlike himself at the moment. Trained to be cautious, he kept an ear out, just in case they were a threat. Fifteen minutes rolled by, and the footsteps were now crystal clear over the desert, the travelers couldn't be any more that a few hundred feet in front of him, but in the pitch black of night they were still hidden. As such, Sasuke activated the sharingan in his right eye, just to be sure. Immediately a look of pure surprise came onto his face.

There were two of them, one was a short, hunched over man wearing a straw hat and Akatsuki robes, he had huge bulk, which seemed to drag and create a trail through the sand. His companion looked like a woman with long blond hair and a similar robe, a sadistic smile adorned his/her face. Sasuke knew the names of all the Akatsuki members from the book he found in one of Orochimaru's libraries. These were none other than Sasori and Diedara.

It took a second longer for Sasuke to realize the significance of his find, these two could know where Itachi is. All thought of his current mission left, replaced by burning hatred and the desire for revenge. However, unlike what he would do as a child, he suppressed it. He stayed silent as the two Akatsuki disappeared into the blackness of the night once more, he could not be hasty as two on one were still bad odds. He would follow them in the morning, Sasori's tracks were easily distinguishable, and try to catch them unaware or separated.

Instead of sleeping Sasuke sat awake and began to sharpen his sword, using a stone summoned from the tags on his wrists. The sound of rock on metal resounded into the night, there was absolutely no chance he'd let this opportunity go by.

'Itachi, I can see your death,' thought Sasuke, as he used one final stroke to finish his blades killing edge.

XxXxxxXxX

Eragon couldn't tell what time it was when he awoke as the thick canopy of trees blocked his view of the sun, but the dim light suggested that it was still early morning. He stood up and shook off the stiffness from his uncomfortable resting, as he couldn't actually sleep anymore. After stretching for a few moments he restarted the camp's fire with a silent mutter of _Brisingr_, and almost immediately the sound of the crackling flames woke the sleeping shinobi who, while uncomplaining, felt they could use five more minutes of sleep.

"So, what's for breakfast?" asked Naruto groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Almost immediately, Eragon responded by tossing each member of his team an apple, dug out from his backpack. He augmented the meal with a bit of bread and cheese that he toasted over the fire. The meal suddenly made Sakura realize something.

"Why don't you eat any meat?" she asked, she knew that some people were vegetarians, but Eragon didn't seem the type. Eragon gave his answer a little thought before answering.

"I do eat meat," he replied. "On occasion, when it is served, or if it is polite."

"But why not regularly? It just seems strange," commented Sakura, once again receiving a pause from the dragon rider. He was pondering how much was okay to tell them.

"As a side effect of my training to touch the minds of others, I am able to touch the minds of every living thing. I dislike eating an animal I have shared my being with," he said, but the answer didn't seem to be good enough. With a sigh he explained further. "I've been in the mind of a rabbit as it dies, I felt its death as strongly as if I had felt my own, and while I have my body to return to the feeling still doesn't leave. Nothing should have to die so uselessly," this answer seemed to quell the curiosity of Sakura, but raised another question from Hinata.

"Then why does Saphira eat meat, if you are so opposed to it?" she asked, receiving an immediate response from the sapphire dragon.

'Because I am a Dragon! I need more than the flesh of plants!' she said, projecting her thoughts to everyone.

"It's a little bit of a touchy subject," whispered Eragon, knowing full well Saphira heard it in his mind anyway. Not amused by the joke, a small trail of smoke left her nostrils.

The rest of breakfast went without any sort of hitch, as a matter of fact everyone suddenly seemed eager to get moving.

"If we travel at the same pace we did yesterday," said Sakura, "We'll be at Fune port in an hour and a half. Almost a day early,"

"Being early for a change is different," Eragon said aloud, but mostly to Saphira. "It seems just yesterday we were rushing from Farthen Dur, to Du Weldenvarden, just before the siege of Feinster," Saphira showed her agreement with a quick grunt, before launching herself into the air, tearing a dragon sized hole in the canopy.

_'Damned Trees!' _she swore, Eragon held back a chuckle.

* * *

A shorter chapter then usual, But I am infinitely glad to have it done. (sorry to keep you all waiting for so long -_-)

With any amount of drive, I'll have the next chapter up a lot sooner, but don't expect it for another month or so. (Preparation for the SATs, school projects, and catching up with my grades to do… Man I hate High School)

As for the situation with Sasuke… I thought Gaara deserved an appearance in here, but it will hardly play out like the original arc.


	5. Important announcement

Hello all readers! It's great to have internet again after so long! A few months ago, my computer decided it was too old and died. I was nearly complete with chapter 5 when that happened, but of course lost everything... I'm in the process of rewriting the chapter, so it will be a while before I have the next one up.

I'm incredibly sorry for the delay.


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